Thai Basil Eggplant
This easy eggplant and Thai basil recipe is perfect when the garden is overflowing with fresh ingredients. Ready in just 30 minutes, it brings together a fragrant symphony of aromas and bold flavors—the kind of meal that gives your day a delicious little boost.
Ingredients
Sauce
- 2 Tbsp chilli paste 1 Tbsp soy sauce 2 tsp fish sauce 2 tsp oyster sauce 3 Tbsp water
- The Rest
- Japanese eggplant about 1 large or 2 small, sliced about 0.5-inch thick, then halve each round
- 4 cloves garlic
- Red Thai chilies to taste (use at least 3, bigger ones if you can. Take the seeds out to reduce spiciness)
Rest
- 200 g ground chicken or sub ground pork or crumbled firm tofu. I used a leftover pork chop I had from yesterday’s dinner
- 1 cup Thai basil leaves
- Preferred noodles cooked and cooled off
- Have a little water on the ready while you cook
Instructions
- Combine all sauce ingredients and whisk until the chili paste dissolves.Chop the garlic and chili peppers and set them asideIn a wok or skillet, add just enough oil to coat the bottom, then heat until quite hot but not smoking. Add the eggplant in one layer and let it sear over medium-high heat, undisturbed, until the bottom side is browned. Flip and cook the other side until it is browned as well. Add the diced garlic and chili. Saute for about 1 minute over medium heat, just until the garlic starts to brown.Add the ground protein and cook until 80% done (if raw), adding a splash of water to loosen as needed. Or add the leftover pork chop, sliced, until it warms up.Add the sauce, then toss for 2-3 minutes, until the eggplant is cooked through but not mushy. Add the cooked noodles and basil, then turn off the heat. If you need more moisture, add a little more water and toss until the noodles are covered; the heat will wilt the basil, and that should be your cue it's ready to eat.
Thai Basil Eggplant
This easy eggplant and Thai basil recipe is perfect when the garden is overflowing with fresh ingredients. Ready in just 30 minutes, it brings together a fragrant symphony of aromas and bold flavors—the kind of meal that gives your day a delicious little boost.
Ingredients
Sauce
- 2 Tbsp chilli paste 1 Tbsp soy sauce 2 tsp fish sauce 2 tsp oyster sauce 3 Tbsp water
- The Rest
- Japanese eggplant about 1 large or 2 small, sliced about 0.5-inch thick, then halve each round
- 4 cloves garlic
- Red Thai chilies to taste (use at least 3, bigger ones if you can. Take the seeds out to reduce spiciness)
Rest
- 200 g ground chicken or sub ground pork or crumbled firm tofu. I used a leftover pork chop I had from yesterday’s dinner
- 1 cup Thai basil leaves
- Preferred noodles cooked and cooled off
- Have a little water on the ready while you cook
Instructions
- Combine all sauce ingredients and whisk until the chili paste dissolves.Chop the garlic and chili peppers and set them asideIn a wok or skillet, add just enough oil to coat the bottom, then heat until quite hot but not smoking. Add the eggplant in one layer and let it sear over medium-high heat, undisturbed, until the bottom side is browned. Flip and cook the other side until it is browned as well. Add the diced garlic and chili. Saute for about 1 minute over medium heat, just until the garlic starts to brown.Add the ground protein and cook until 80% done (if raw), adding a splash of water to loosen as needed. Or add the leftover pork chop, sliced, until it warms up.Add the sauce, then toss for 2-3 minutes, until the eggplant is cooked through but not mushy. Add the cooked noodles and basil, then turn off the heat. If you need more moisture, add a little more water and toss until the noodles are covered; the heat will wilt the basil, and that should be your cue it's ready to eat.
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